THE human race could make contact with alien life within 12 years, a former Ministry of Defence chief has claimed.

One of the key questions about the universe, 'is there life out there?', could be answered by 2024 with the development of a supersized £1.3bn radio telescope.

According to former Ministry of Defence UFO Project leader Nick Pope, the development of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) telescope will unleash “new and exciting possibilities.”

Mr Pope, who studied UFO sightings at the MoD for 21 years, said: “I will be controversial and give you an exact year of when I believe first confirmation of contact will be made – and that is 2024, the year in which if everything goes according to plan the Square Kilometre Array will be fully operational.”

The SKA, to be started in 2016, is set to be the world’s largest radio telescope and will answer some of the fundamental unanswered questions of our universe.

An artist's impression of what the SKA would look like (SKA Organisation)

I believe first confirmation of contact will be made in 2024

UFO expert Nick Pope

Made up of thousands of radio wave receptors covering 1,900 square miles of the Earth’s surface in the Australian outback, scientists have claimed it will provide alternative views of the Universe than those seen with optical telescopes.

Scientists leading its development have suggested the SKA will be 50 times more sensitive, and will survey the sky 10 000 times faster, than any other telescope.

A spokesman for the SKA said: “It will give astronomers insight into the formation and evolution of the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang, the role of cosmic magnetism, the nature of gravity and possibly even life beyond.”

Mr Pope added: “If there is a civilisation within 100 lightyears this telescope could find it. We are now beginning to have the technology whether it’s the SKA or maybe other telescopes that are being developed that will allow these possibilities. We are searching all the time for a shadow earth.”

With the Mayan prediction of the End of the World not coming to fruition and with thousands celebrating the continuation of life on earth, the possibility of life beyond earth is the next big question that hangs over our existence.

Recent research suggested that nearly 10 per cent of the population has seen a UFO, equally more than 6million people just in the UK.

Mr Pope added: “When I was investigating UFOs, I investigated 2-300 reports each year. 10 per cent is an absolutely astonishing figure.”

The world-leading UFO expert also speculated as to how the extra-terrestrial life could make contact.

He said: “The old fashioned idea was that there would be this landing on the White House lawn. First contact might just happen via email, but more likely it will be through radio signals.”